M. Emmet Walsh

Biography

Michael Emmet Walsh (March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024) was an American character actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in Blood Simple (1984), the Coen Brothers' first film for which he won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also appeared in The Jerk (1979), Ordinary People (1980), Blade Runner (1982), Wild Wild West (1999), and The Iron Giant (1999). His final films included Knives Out (2019) and Brothers (2024).

Known For

Grandpa

South of Bix

C.P. Woodward

Brubaker

Earl Stutz (voice)

The Iron Giant

Harv

Critters

Group W Sergeant

Alice's Restaurant

Charlie

The Best of Times

Fred Miller

The Mighty Quinn

Madman

The Jerk

Private Detective

Blood Simple

Dickie Dunn

Slap Shot

Freemont

Chairman of the Board

Earl Frank

Straight Time

Sergeant Dominick Benti

Narrow Margin

Coleman

Wild Wild West

Art

Cold Turkey

Master Chief Vinnie Walker

Raise the Titanic

Burns

The Pope of Greenwich Village

Mack

Cannery Row

Joe O'Neal

My Best Friend's Wedding

George Henderson Sr.

Harry and the Hendersons

Lester Ivar

Twilight

Dr. Joseph Dolan

Fletch

Dewey Ferguson

Red Scorpion

Walt Yarborough

Silkwood

Sam

Retroactive

Stu O'Malley

Christmas in the Clouds

Captain Haun

No Man's Land

Lew Popper

Big Stan

Johnny Phatmun

Catch Me... If You Can

Walt Scheel

Christmas with the Kranks

Samuel

Don McKay

Warden MacDonald

The Outlaws

Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)

Cops & Robbersons

Mickey Hopkins

Man in the Chair

Tuck

Missing in Action

Coach Turnbull

Back to School

Arthur

Back Roads

Las Vegas Gambler

The Gambler

Mort

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat

Judge Pike

Poor White Trash

Dean

Me and Will

Sergeant Sanger

Fast-Walking

Swim Coach

Ordinary People

Calvin Murks

The Music of Chance

T.R. Polk

Camp Nowhere

Self

Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner

Speaker at Liberal Club

Reds

Wally Cantrell

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh

Bert Gibson

White Sands

John Kane

Killer Image

Doorman

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Uncle Bub

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Colin Ditweiler

War Party

Warden Brodski

The Traveling Executioner

Det. Sam Davies

The Deliberate Stranger

Mr. Clark

Grandview, U.S.A.

Sheldon Lewis

City in Fear

Wedge

Thunderground

Billy (uncredited)

Random Hearts

Morris

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Chief Van Owen

Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency

Harold Patton

High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane

Sheriff Sweeney

Red Alert

Inspector McCartney

A Question of Guilt

Kroger

Your Name Here

Simon Reynolds

Scandalous

Detective Mulligan

Broken Vows

Harold

At Long Last Love

"Father" Logan

Nickelodeon

Ed

Love Sick Love

Lloyd Reeves

Monster!

Moran

Skag

Garcia / Gesundheim

The Naked Truth

Sheriff Bob

Bitter Harvest

Henry Allen

The Flash

Don Nichols

Abduction

Sandy Westphall

Baggage

Neil

Haunted Echoes

Bill Wilcox

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home

The Writer

Calvary

Sadler

Probable Cause

Woodzie

Racing Stripes

Mayor Thornbush

Four Eyes and Six-Guns

1st Sanitation Man

They Might Be Giants

Mr. Saunders

Youth in Revolt

Bus Driver

Mikey and Nicky

Mr. Peterson

Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic

Shotgun Guard

Little Big Man

Whitley

Superdome

Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)

A Time to Kill

Dr. Williams

Airport '77

Self

On the Edge of 'Blade Runner'

George

Snow Dogs

Bryant

Blade Runner

Earl Ladelle

Relative Fear

Martin

Criminal Hearts

Marshal Jim Phillips

Nightmare in Big Sky Country

Aide

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Gorak

The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power

Dino

Albino Alligator

Sarge

Resting Place

Muggs

Greener Mountains

Colonel Crouse

Courage

Gallagher

Serpico

Rudolph Thorndyke

Madness of Method

Catfish

Outlaw Posse

Harry

Fourth Story

Mr. Beudreaux

The Assignment

Vern Humphrey

Murder Ordained

Dean Marison

Boiling Pot

Morris

Chattahoochee

Walt Coes

Wildcats

Judge Farful

Brothers

Dorsett

Panther

Chief Marvin Dibner

Sunset

Ralph Worth

Erasable You

Det. Jesse Hall

The Glass Shield

Arresting Officer

What's Up, Doc?

Raymond Garrison

Portraits of a Killer

Fire Chief

Wilder Napalm

Stanley

Men in White

Charles Blankenship

Silverfox

Machine Shop Ear-Bender

Raising Arizona

Fritz

The Escape Artist

Mr. Wendel

Get to Know Your Rabbit

Crab Man / Tutu Man

End of the Road

Chuck Ireland

Chasing 3000

Legion Commander

The Gift

Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Midnight Cowboy

Mr. Graebner

Hellinger's Law

Mose

Wild Card

Capt. Gorcey

Dear Detective

Walter Lemke

Change in the Air

Sindaco

The Right of the People

Richard Dirks

Clean and Sober

Hank

Shifting Gears

Irvine

The Invasion of Johnson County

Chief Davis

The Lottery

Toto

Toto

Sheriff Foley

The Killing Jar

Fr. John

Faith, Hope & Love

Husband

Bound for Glory

Coach Cook

Eyeball Eddie

Mr. Proofroc

Knives Out

Larry Kiesling

Raising Buchanan

Sergeant Miller Hoskins

Dead Badge

Joe Lemke

The Woman Who Willed a Miracle

Joe Kirby

Night Partners

Clyde Wilson

Love and Lies

Apothecary

Romeo + Juliet

Pete Petosa

Equinox

Comissioner Menlo Boyce

Jack of Hearts

DeFranco

No Other Love

Zazek

Arthur Newman

Jack Doyle

Crime Club

Harry's Father

Sorry, Not Sorry

The Director

The Mimic

Racing Partner (uncredited)

Stiletto

Kate's Father

The Immaculate Room

Barber

Kid Blue

Arthur Baldwin

A Little White Lie

Governor

The Milagro Beanfield War

Wally Westland

Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales

Harold Eichelbaum

Dotty and Soul

Scotty

Green and Gold

Self

A True Character

General Presser

Hero in the Family

Rocco

The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn

Henry Allen

The Flash

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

169

Gender

Male

Birthday

1935-03-22

Place of Birth

Ogdensburg, New York, USA

Also Known As

Michael Emmet Walsh